What Neurotypicals Don't Understand About Neurodivergents

Daily things many neurodivergent people experience that most neurotypicals don’t fully grasp (from my experience): 

Not doing something rarely means “I don’t want to,” “I don’t care,” or “I’m lazy.” Executive function challenges often mean we’re overwhelmed, can’t figure out where to start, or the task just gets lost in an overstuffed mental filing system. 

An interruption when we’re locked into a task isn’t a minor annoyance. It’s like being yanked across hot coals, dunked into a piranha-filled whirlpool, and thrown into a giant dryer, only to crawl back to work that is now written in a mysterious language. 

“Special interests” can look like obsessions. Addiction can be more common for us. But these interests are also what make us feel alive, help us regulate, and often bring out our best creativity, innovation, and productivity.

A “simple” task is almost never just one thing. Taking out the garbage involves remembering where the bags are, managing smells, avoiding distractions so you don’t forget something, preparing for outside conditions, and pushing through sensory overload, then coming back inside like it was nothing. 

Doing a boring task can feel like negotiating with your brain the entire time by bribing it with rewards, fidgeting to stay grounded, bouncing about because your bones feel like they're about to leap out of your skin, or trying to manage the strange, suffocating feeling that comes with forcing focus. 

Some days, a task takes seconds, and you feel like you deserve a medal.. The next day, it’s like you’ve never done it before. Every day is a gamble of energy and focus. 

Sensory issues can shift from day to day. One day, a pot clanging sounds like an explosion. Another day, you don’t notice you’re sitting on something sharp. 

Many neurodivergent people live with a constant fear of disappointing others or failing. So if you’re frustrated with them, chances are they’ve already been ten times harder on themselves. 

“Just one more little thing” can feel like adding a cantaloupe to an overflowing fruit basket. 

Sometimes, we just need space to be weird, playful, or silly without judgment or eye-rolls. 

We don’t always recharge through sleep. Often, we need time alone to decompress and process. “Hiding away” isn’t a lack of love but how we reset and process.

------------------------------------------------

If my work resonates with you, then please consider supporting me either by subscribing to my Life on the Balcony newsletter, throwing a tip my way through the Support Me badge or my Ko-fi page, or considering hiring me for your business.